HVAC Learning At It's Best
With Learning Solutions, we put knowledge at your fingertips. That means access to in-house experts who know the HVAC industry inside and out. It also means a team of professionals committed to ensuring that Lennox dealers always remain one step ahead of the competition in terms of business training, installation, sales, customer service and overall technical training.
By leveraging dozens of Lennox coaches, over 400 online courses, and videos available 24/7/365, Learning Solutions is here to ensure that you, your team and your business are always prepared for what’s next.
Joe Jones
Learning Solutions Director & ON AIR Podcast Host
Lennox Learning Solutions’ world-class instructor-led courses have over a 96% satisfaction rating from students and include skills training, sales training, and business excellence courses. In addition, my team refreshes our flagship courses to ensure we keep up with the HVAC industry. Also, select courses are now available entirely in Spanish.
My team has developed flagship technical, sales, and business courses to help our Dealers and their team succeed in HVAC. Our talented instructors don’t just coach to best practices but take our students to the next level in their careers. As a result, thousands of individuals with varying HVAC knowledge have completed a technical or sales course through Learning Solutions and become top-performing technicians or comfort advisors.
Our team believes the path to your desired business goals begins with a well-designed learning plan. Whether it’s maintaining your current market status, becoming more efficient and profitable, or growing to become a dominant market leader. Learning Solutions is the exclusive partner to help Lennox dealers develop their plans forward.
We look forward to seeing you in class!
Best,
P.S Listen & subscribe to our ON AIR podcast, it was created for HVAC professionals by HVAC professionals.
Doug Smiley
Technical Training Manager
20+ Years of HVAC Experience
Doug Smiley currently serves as the Technical Training Manager for Lennox Residential. The technical team
is responsible for content and curriculum development of HVAC technical training for contractors and
dealers. Doug has been in the HVAC technical training world for the past 13 years. His collective HVAC
career spans 21 years and includes every position from installer to service tech roles, management and
leadership roles at the dealer level, and educational and training development roles for the manufacturer.
Jonathan Saunders
Sales Training Manager
Jonathan Saunders brings a dynamic blend of sales excellence and technical expertise to his role as Dealer Training Manager at Lennox Industries. With a career rooted in high-performance training and service operations, Jonathan previously served as a Sales Trainer for General Motors and Service Experts, where he was known for equipping teams with actionable strategies that drove measurable growth and elevated customer experiences.
At Lennox, Jonathan leads dealer education initiatives, designing and delivering impactful training programs that empower contractors with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to succeed in a rapidly evolving HVAC landscape. His approach combines practical insights with a forward-thinking mindset, helping Lennox partners stay competitive while delivering service with integrity and excellence.
Driven by a passion for people and performance, Jonathan is committed to building strong dealer networks through innovative training, continuous learning, and a deep understanding of the customer journey.
HVAC Sales and Business Instructors
Nate Claudson
Instructor
- 19 + years of trades experience including HVAC, plumbing, and pipefitting.
- 11+ years of training experience.
- Graduated from Community College of the Air Force
- Plumbing Instructional Designer for the United States Air Force
- OSHA Certification
- Instructor Certified I.G. Brown Training and Education Center
Curtis Isaac
Instructor
- 18+ years HVAC experience
- Installation, service, sales and management
- Currently manages the service department at one of the few remaining locally owned HVAC companies in the Kansas City area
Steven Litt
Instructor
- Experience writing HR development manuals and running management training programs
- Expert in Operations and Sales Management
- Started a performance contracting company
- Currently the director of a private postsecondary HVAC/Plumbing trade school
Mike Treas
Instructor
- 30 years of sales and sales management experience
- Experience in the HVAC industry as a Sales Manager and Comfort Advisor for one of the largest and well-respected residential heating and air conditioning contractors
- Partnered with 150+ contracting companies conducting training and consulting in the areas of sales, sales management, business management, customer service and technician training
- Expert in developing a selling culture for businesses
HVAC Technical Instructors
Tom Cates
Instructor
Tom has over 39 years of experience in the HVAC industry and owns and operates “On the LEVEL HVAC Design”. He has extensive experience in the installation, verification, and design of mechanical systems for residential and small commercial buildings, including heating and cooling load calculations as well as duct, ventilation, hydronic, and geothermal design. His experience also includes 19 years of HVAC training, as well as curriculum development in several aspects of the HVAC industry. He has written several articles for HVAC publications such as Mechanical Business.
Tom retains a Red Seal 308A Sheetmetal Licence from the Ontario College of Trades and is a licensed Gas Technician (G2) in accordance with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). He holds certification with Langevin Learning Services in “Instructional Design” and “Training Needs Analysis”. He also maintains a registered Building Code Identification Number (BCIN) with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and is certified for mechanical design with The Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), The International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSHPA), as well as the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition of Canada (CGC).
He sits on various industry committees such as The Canadian Standards Association CSA F300 and CSA F326 and has presented at provincial and national conferences such as the Alberta Building Officials conference in 2019, the Ontario Building Officials conference in 2023, as well as HRAI’s national trade, show CMPX in 2024 on several topics including the National Building Code, the Ontario Building Code, and CSA Standards.
As a senior trainer with Lennox Industries, HRAI (The Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute), and IGSHPA (International Ground Source Heat Pump Association) Tom delivers training courses across Canada and has received HRAI’s Education Supporter Award in 2007, HRAI’s Education Leader Award in 2014, and HRAI’s Presidents Recognition Award in 2017.
Tom has developed HRAI course curriculum, including manuals and presentations, such as Introduction to Residential HVAC Equipment, Residential Ventilation Design, and Installation, and most recently the Residential Air System Design manual recognized in the industry as the standard for designing Residential Air System Designs.
George “Geeno” Clayton
Instructor
- 8 Years – Service Technician
- 8 Years – Technical Consultant
- 12 Years – Product Development & Research (Testing Specialist)
- 8 Years – Technical Trainer
- Graduated from University of Arlington Tx (Business Marketing)
- Graduated from Lincoln Technical Institute (HVAC-R)
- Universal EPA Certified
- N.A.T.E. Certified Certified
- HVAC-R Certified
Eric Grubbs
Instructor
- 26 Years in the HVAC Industry as a Technician, Instructor, Instructional Designer, Project manager and Business Owner.
- Retired from the Air Force after 24 years of Service
- Holds 3 degrees in Electrical/Mechanical Technology, Human Resources Management, and Instructor of Technology and Military Science
- Specializes in implementing Adult Learning Concepts into training
Nathan Stringer
Instructor
- C.A.T.E HVAC Trade School
- Union Apprenticeship
- N.A.T.E Certified
- Universal EPA Certified
- 12 Years Industry Experience
- Field Technician Residential/Commercial Systems
- Residential Subcontractor
- Product Development and Research Lennox
- Technical Trainer Lennox
Joel Laureano
Instructor
- 25+ years of HVAC Experience
- Doctorate in Divinity & Education
- Universal EPA Certified
- NATE Certified
- Licensed Technician Residential/Commercial Systems
- Instructional HVAC Designer for the Air Force
- Bilingual educator (English & Spanish)
Chuck Oxner
Instructor
- HVAC experience for 40+ years in residential, commercial and industrial.
- Certified Master HVAC Educator
- State Licensed for HVAC and Electrical contractor in 3 states
- NATE Certified
- Master Electrician
- Numerous HVAC certifications
- Tom Henry National Electrical School
- HVAC Cert.-Piedmont Tech.
- B.S.- U. South Carolina
Zak Majdali
Instructor
- Technical Training Consultant For Lennox Industries
- I currently Have 21 Years In The Trade With 19 Years As A Technical Instructor
- Majored in circuit design which includes, component diagnostics, troubleshooting, programing, and
Get NATE credit for your Learning Solutions training hours.
And we’ll send the hours you earn directly to NATE on your behalf.
It’s simple. Register your NATE I.D. with us, make sure you’re logged into your lennoxpros.com page, click here, and follow the instructions on the page.